Race Around the World: I Love You Sakura Haruno!
by Ghostsammeo
Summary: Old school pals Sasuke and Naruto plan to visit Sakura at her university, just to find her gone with only the name of a country as a lead to find her. Oh yeah, they both kinda like her too. Planes, trains and automobiles style AU romcom adventure.
1. Chapter 1

Race around the world: I love you Sakura Haruno!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of its characters and make no money from this story... support the official release and all that jazz! _

_Written by Ghostsammeo _

_**AU/ Oops. Why am I writing another AU story when I'm already in the middle of another? Ah, who cares, I won't let possible lack of updates stifle my creativity! Enjoy!**_

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Books, movies, television shows and any other medias that tell stories have always had this one humongous problem, the problem of the cliché. For each individual story made, if you want it to be a good one, you simply must not follow a cliché opening. I mean, you only have to look at all those boring, samey fairytales of the past which begin with 'a long time ago' to see that; that's not counting Star Wars, Stars Wars is awesome.

When some dude created the beginning which starts at the end and the whole adventure is a flashback, everybody thought it was the most awesome, none-cliché thing ever! Sadly over time people continued to use it; soon enough, it was a cliché.

My story, no matter how awesome I may think it is; is a cliché.

It starts with me floating on a little homemade, wooden boat down the river Thames in London. The sun was slowly lowering in the sky; making Naruto's beaten, bloody face slightly more beautiful than it would have been, as he lay there, moaning in pain next to me. On my other side was a crying Sakura Haruno, tears rolling down her delicate cheeks as she sobbed. Up on the streets, looking down at me, was the police.

Not just the police however, in-fact the group of watchers was mostly made up of SWAT team members, looking at me down through the barrels of their steadily aimed guns.

The sirens of their cars wailed as they shouted demands at me. Wiping blood from my bleeding nose, I placed my hands in the air... Cliché time!

Maybe I should start from the beginning.

Me, Naruto and Sakura all came from the same high school in the state of California. In our school, believe it or not from information to come, we were all friends. Sure we each had our side groups to go to; I'd go to the cool guys, Sakura the smart girls and Naruto the class clowns, but by the end of the day it was just the three of us.

Of course, since it was high school, flings happened and such. One year I was Sakura's boyfriend, the next year Naruto was. By the end of it all though, we had decided to just leave high school as friends and nothing more.

That was all years ago. Each of us are eager to learn academics at our respective universities and to stay friends forever and ever (in Naruto's words) we all agreed to meet every couple of months at our uni's.

This time round, Naruto and I were visiting Sakura at her university in California. We were only there for a week, but that was all we needed. To be honest, even though I hate to admit it, I love the both of them. Naruto for all his stupid remarks and annoyingly hyper moods is a great guy and Sakura... well. I'll be honest again, Sakura is fucking awesome. I love the girl. She's smart, good looking and kind hearted. What more could a guy want. Well for me, there isn't anything else I want because this week I have came to make Sakura mine.

Before being thought as some weird creep travelling across America to visit my old friend to win her back I'll make some things clear. I have liked Sakura for a long time. It's not just like High School ended and I suddenly thought to myself, _oh, Sakura was actually pretty hot and she'd be a good wife, I'll go woo her! _I've been waiting to see her for a long time and I know that this is really my last chance to have something special with this wonderful woman before she either gets with some new jerk or gets too concerned with her studies to see me.

I like her and I am here to make her mine.

So, I guess it all starts properly here, with the sun sparkling miraculously off my yellow car bonnet as I smoothly cut past another driver and into a parking space.

I turn the keys and step out my Lamborghini, flipping down my shades to look around.

It's a nice day. I'm currently in the uni car park; Sakura's housing area but a two minute walk away. Small trees dot the side of each parking space and birds chirp in the clear, blue sky. Sakura's got a nice university, not as nice as mine, but still nice.

With a beep I lock my car (automatically, bitch) and flip my finger at the driver I had cut off to get the parking space. With a jolt remember to get the flowers out the back seat.

A dozen roses for Sakura. Yes, roses, the flowers of love. I'm pulling all the stops this week!

Suddenly the blaze of some crappy rap music meets my ear as an old battered green car zooms into the car park with an apparent disregard for seriously damaging someone else's vehicle.

It spurts out black fumes from the exhaust and does some dodgy u-turn thing to park itself.

Naruto.

I see his blonde spikes come out the door first, then the rest of his body.

"Naruto," I call.

God I've missed this idiot.

He turns from locking his car and strains his eyes to look at me. It takes the dobe awhile, but I think he finally realises it's me.

I stroll over as he waves stupidly shouting my name to show me where he is... though I know where he is... because I found him first... dobe.

"Sasuke!" He grins and brings me into a big bear hug.

I jab him in the ribs and push him off, "Watch out for the flowers," I hiss.

"Oh yeah sure sorry," he smiles, "Man you've gotten taller Sasuke!"

"It's only been a year since we last saw each other and I stopped growing two years ago," I roll my eyes.

"Hahaha... yeah, good to see you again though," he smiles.

"Sure," I reply.

His blue eyes fall to the flowers in my hand then he gasps.

"Nearly forgot!" He yelps as he dives through his open car window and struggles around for awhile.

Eventually he comes out with a stick with what? Blossoms on it? Pink blossoms?

"The fuck is that?" I say, pointing at his stick.

"Cherry blossoms," He announces proudly.

"You've brought Sakura part of a tree." I state.

"Yeah, it's what her name means, romantic huh?" He grins.

My eyes narrow immediately.

"Not really," I shrug. I hesitate, and then to test out Naruto's reaction, I say, "My roses are romantic though, don't you think?"

Naruto's eyes narrow too, "Yeah, I was going to bring her some flowers but I think the blossoms hold more meaning."

My dark eyes meet his bright ones and immediately we both know it's on. He likes Sakura. I like Sakura. And we're both here today to win her.

This was unexpected.

Since when did Naruto like Sakura? Perhaps he's had the same feelings as me all this time. I mean we did fight over her a bit all those years ago in school but we agreed to get over it and move on. **I **didn't but I expected him to.

"Well it's good to see you again, dobe," I say and turn on my heel, "Shall we go meet the girl then?"

"Sure, let's go!"

After a quick walk down the blazing hot street we find ourselves climbing up an ever turning stairwell, looking for room five hundred and three.

"So," Naruto breaths as we climb, "How's life going for you Sasuke? How'd you get that snazzy car?"

"My dad and I went half and half to buy it," I reply airily.

"Minato didn't help me buy my car," Naruto converses, "He said it was his 'fatherly duty' to let me work hard and prosper by myself... I don't even know what prosper means."

I smirk then stop, "Ah, here's the floor she's staying on."

We both go through into a brightly lit corridor, a light green carpet running along the floor.

"Room five hundred," Naruto reads the first door he sees then takes a step forward to the next door along, "five hundred and three!"

His hand goes to the handle but I quickly grab his wrist, "Don't you wanna knock first?"

"No," he shrugs and opens the door shouting, "SAKURA!"

Except there is no Sakura. Instead we are met by a slightly messy room, clothes flung here and there, and a blonde girl passionately kissing some white haired guy on the sludge green sofa directly in-front of us.

"Whoah- o-o," the guy stammers, pushing the blonde's face away with his hand.

"What the hell?" The blonde growls, flipping her long ponytail behind her shoulder.

She follows his gaze and then her face lightens when she sees us.

"Oh, Sakura's friends right?" she murmurs, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I'm going," the white haired guy says immediately, standing up and shoving past me and Naruto, both standing in the doorway with our eyebrows raised.

"Suigetsu, call me!" the blonde calls after him pathetically.

"Sure," he says back as he disappears behind us.

Me and Naruto still stand looking at the girl.

"Hi," she says and stands up, "I'm Ino, Sakura's roommate... and that man-whore was Suigetsu."

"Hi, I'm Naruto and this is Sasuke," Naruto smiles. "Was that your boyfriend?"

"No, no like I said, just some man whore from the night before," Ino grins back.

"We're here to see Sakura," I intervene before Naruto can strike up some totally unrelated conversation as I remember him often doing in school.

"_Yeah_, she's gone out," Ino explains as she goes around the sofa towards some cupboards at the back of the room.

Gone? "But, she knew we would be coming," I say.

"That's why she told me to tell you she's gone to Canada," Ino says as she munches on some cornflakes out of a cereal box.

Both Naruto's jaws and mine drop.

"Hey, what are the flowers for?" Ino asks us.

"They're for Sakura, hey why did she go to Canada, is this some kind of joke?" I question quickly after snapping out of the confusion, my mind not quite getting what's going on. Canada? What the hell?

"No it's not a joke, she just packed a bag slightly teary eyed and told me to tell you guys she's going to Canada, nice girl as well, only been living with her a couple of weeks... I'll miss her," Ino shrugs.

There's a silence in the room.

"**What the fuck**? Why'd she go to Canada?" Naruto suddenly bellows out, throwing his hands in the air.

"This is insane," I shake my head, "Do you know where in Canada she went?" I ask Ino.

"No. No I do not," Ino affirms.

As Naruto starts questioning this Ino girl some questions I've clearly already asked, I take out my phone and dial Sakura's number.

After a few seconds, a vibrating noise comes from under the sofa cushion where Ino and Suigetsu had been sitting.

Ino smiles wryly and fishes under the sofa cushion until she pulls out Sakura's pink mobile.

"Yeah. She couldn't find that when she left. Guess it was cuz I was sitting on it," Ino says with a light laugh.

"Are you high or something?" I demand of her.

"No," Ino replies abruptly.

This whole ordeal is insane. Sakura just going to Canada doesn't make sense! As my mind continues to process the situation, Naruto suddenly speaks.

"I'm going after her."

"What?" I snap.

"I'm going after her," he repeats, then smiles at me.

Going after her? What would be the point of that? We don't know where she's even going exactly. There'd be no point.

"That's a stupid idea, where would you find her?" I demand as Ino munches on cereal behind us.

"I don't know, I don't care Sasuke- I need to see her cuz I have something serious to tell her, I can't wait to say it so I'll just have to go after her."

**So** typical of Naruto to do stupid things and force me into them. If he's going then I'm going. He's not telling her he loves her before me!

"My car is better for long distance travelling, I'll go, write down your message or something," I say before I even know I've said it.

"Message? No Sasuke I'm serious I need to speak to her," Naruto shakes his head.

"Well I have something to tell her too and seeing as my cars better for long distances I'll just go instead... don't worry I'll phone you when I get there," I say through gritted teeth.

"Sasuke, dude, I'll go."

"Why don't you both go?" Ino interjects before I start arguing like a child, "Kinda race to meet her?"

Ino's stupid suggestion actually makes sense in this scenario, even though she doesn't know that we both like Sakura.

"And the first one to get to her..." Naruto says.

"Wins her," I finish.

"Wins her?" Ino repeats.

"I'm off, see you around Sasuke!" Naruto announces suddenly and hops out the window.

Wait what?

I run to the window to see Naruto cursing loudly as he slowly crawls down a drainpipe. He looks up at me, grins sheepishly then continues to crawl downwards.

"Shit, Ino's here's my number, contact me if you get any news," I says as I scribble down my number on a piece of paper nearby.

"Why? What's happening?" Ino asks.

"I'm going to win Sakura!"

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_**AU/ not a very good starting chapter to reflect this story but I struggled getting it going, hopefully you can get past this and get ready for the next chapters! –Re-drafted! **_


	2. Chapter 2

Race around the world: I love you Sakura Haruno!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of its characters and make no money from this story... support the official release and all that jazz!_

_Written by Ghostsammeo_

_**AN/ Next chapter, now the story starts!**_

* * *

I am bent over Ino Yamanaka's shoulder, watching her type away at a computer. We're in her bedroom which is primarily coloured purple, besides the desk she is at which is an old, rotting brown wood.

"The next flight from California South airport is... in two hours and fifteen minutes. Oh and there's one last seat left for booking, aren't you lucky," Ino reads then turns with a smile at me.

"Move over," I say as I shove her out the way and start typing in my credit details to book the flight.

"How long does it take to get to this airport?" I ask her as I type.

"About two hours," Ino replies after a quick glare.

I pause and turn to her, "About?"

"You'll get there in time if you speed a little," She smirks as I continue typing.

I slide the curser over to a yellow bubble reading: _**book flight,**_ and then click it.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ino asks as she follows me rushing out the room and gathering my flowers from the sofa.

"Yes," I answer shortly.

"So you're literally just going to follow this girl you haven't seen in a year all the way to Canada to what? Tell her you love her?"

I nod stiffly at the doorway.

She sighs as she slumps down onto her sofa, "That's romantic; I wish someone cared for me in that way. Well there's Suigetsu but I'm pretty sure he's just going to turn into a booty-call."

"Ino," I interrupt, "I would love to chat but I've got roughly now two hours and ten minutes to get to a two hour away airport, get through airport security and get on a plane."

"Right, right," she nods, "Got your passport?"

"In my car," I confirm.

"Okay then, it was nice meeting you Sasuke, I'll call you if I get any news."

I nod gratefully, "Thanks Ino."

Quickly I run out the room and down the stairs. After five minutes getting out the building and running down the street, I finally arrive back at the car park. As I go to my car, immediately I notice the presence of Naruto's shitty green Honda. What, is he going to walk to Canada?

Quickly I take out my phone and dial his number.

"Yo!" comes Naruto's voice after a few seconds. I can hear some laughing in the background and the sound of a car's engine.

"Naruto, what the fuck are you doing?" I demand quickly.

"Ah, I bet you saw my car still in the car park eh Sasuke?" Naruto laughs, "Don't worry; I've got my ways of getting around."

"I said what are you doing, dobe?" I repeat as I fall into a leaning stance against my car.

"My car couldn't last the journey I decided, so I got a ride with Kiba," Naruto explains to me.

...Kiba?

"Kiba..." I say, fishing for an answer to who the hell 'Kiba' is.

"Yeah Kiba, he went to nursery with me when I was two, we bonded over our love of the canine species. I just met him in the car park awhile back and he agreed to help me," Naruto says.

"A canine isn't a species it's a family... you know what it doesn't matter, how are you planning on getting to Canada?"

"Oh well Kiba here booked me a flight on his Android Smartphone," Naruto explains down the line, "You know what? I'm really liking his Android, I used to be an IPhone guy but now, I'm not so sure."

"No, Iphones are better," I say into my phone rudely then stuff it into my pocket and hop into my car.

Damn Naruto and damn Kiba! Seriously Naruto is so fucking lucky to meet an old nursery friend actually willing to give him a two hour ride to the airport.

Checking my watch I see it's just turned eleven am, meaning I have two hours exactly till the flight takes off.

Quickly I pull my Lamborghini out the car park and soon enough I've hit the road.

It takes fifteen minutes to get out of the city, and eventually I am driving down a desolate piece of track, a straight road with only long, dried up grass on either side for miles. The wind sails through my hair in my open top car, and travelling at a way over the legal limit eighty miles an hour, I feel comfortable about my journey.

Under my sunglasses, my eyes constantly switch between the road and my in-car clock which now reads half past eleven, meaning an hour and a half till I arrive at the airport.

I start to reflect on what I'm doing as I drive. It may sound like a crazy thought to think that I am planning on travelling all the way to Canada on a working week weekend just to make sure a girl I like knows I like her, but in my mind it seems so perfectly right it's unbelievable.

As my mind wanders, my car begins to slow.

My eyebrows furrow as the speedometer slowly drops. Eighty, seventy, sixty fifty and eventually all the way down to zero miles per hour in a matter of seconds.

My car ceases at the road side.

I squint up at the sun then look at the empty fields of grass around me then slam down on my wheel, "Fuck!"

The fuel. I'm out of fuel! In my rush I forgot to refuel!

I kick my car door as I step out onto the grass. This is a big fucking disaster. I stare at my car as if willing fuel to appear then kick it again when nothing happens.

Sighing I realise the truth of the matter. Flying to Canada? Really? My cars broken down and Naruto's speeding away with fucking Kiba to the airport. It's best I just give up now.

I'm just about to call Naruto to tell him the race is over when a voice speaks out, "Hey there friend!"

Coming down the grass is a strange looking man. He has spiked up greyish hair and is wearing some ripped and broken clothing. In one hand he is carrying two plastic bags, full of cans of food and other unwanted items, and in the other hand a small green plastic can, full of fuel.

"Is that fuel?" I say, stepping forwards towards this strange highway hobo.

"Sure is," The hobo says, his eyes squinted because of the sun as he watches my desperate face slowly morph into something positive (i.e. a smile).

"Well, can I have some, cuz my cars completely empty," I beg.

He whistles and hobbles over to my car, stroking the yellow bonnet.

"I'd be happy to lend my fuel to you... if you could do me a favour," He puts forth.

I don't normally deal with hobos, no offence to any hobos out there, but this time I'm desperate.

"Sure, yes whatever, what do you want?" I ramble as I slowly edge closer to his fuel can, so desperate to get my car to start moving again.

"I wanna ride, a trip to the nearest airport," he says.

"Yes, yes, yes," I ramble, "Good, sure! That's where I'm going now, just give me the fuel and hop in!"

"Thanks buddy," the hobo smiles and climbs into the front passenger seat after handing me his fuel can, "I'm Kakashi by the way."

"Sasuke," I introduce myself as I fill up my car.

"Where should I put my stuff," he asks as he ruffles his plastic bags.

I look up from the back of my car; eyebrow raised, "Erm, in the backseats."

"Thanks," he nods and places them in the backseat as I come back around and into the driving seat.

I turn the key and rev the engine, "Yes," I smirk.

Finally the vehicle starts to roll forwards and soon enough the car is up and speeding at eighty miles per hour once more.

"So, Sasuke," Kakashi says as we drive.

"Hn?"

"Why are you going to the airport?"

I glare at him from the corner of my eye, though he can't see because of my shades. It's not the question that annoys me about him; it's him that annoys me about him. I don't want some smelly hobo hitching a ride in my Lamborghini!

"Just... for a girl," I say.

"Ah, a romantic I see," He laughs lightly, "I myself am going there for free stuff, hoping to get lucky at the Starbucks and claim someone else's coffee before they can get to it."

"Good luck with that," I say, giving him a funny look and hoping inwardly he'll shut up for the rest of the journey.

"I'm a hobo you see," He continues.

I glance back at his bags containing useless miscellaneous. "I do see."

"Never the career choice I intended of course," He converses.

"Of course," I comment.

"No, I always figured myself for a painter, but it's a hard business to break into I'll tell you that," He shakes his head sadly.

"And... that's when you decided to become a hobo?" I try sarcastically.

"Oh no, I never decided to be a hobo, that was decided for me by the people of South Dakota in nineteen eighty eight," He explains.

We sit in silence for awhile, only the noise of the wind blowing past us and the car engine audible.

"Did you know-"

"Radio?" I interrupt before he can begin talking again.

"Oh, no thank you," He smiles.

"Really? I'm in the mood for a bit of radio myself," I say and switch the radio on with a button.

"What do you do for a job Sasuke?" He asks a good while later, through the drabble of a news reporter.

He had been so quiet I had barely noticed him.

"Err, I'm studying law at university," I answer.

My eyes fall to the clock. Five minutes to twelve, an hour and a bit till the plane takes off, but without any signs, I can't tell how long it will take till I even arrive at the airport.

"That's interesting, I was going to study fine art at university till..."

He stops midsentence looking ahead at the road.

"Till?" I try to egg him on.

"Till it happened," He mutters.

"Till what happened?" I ask loudly.

"Till... Would you really like to hear my story?" He turns his body to me.

I do a double take at him, "Yeah, sure," Why is he making this so epic and movie-like? He's only a hobo.

"I was nineteen and had applied to study fine art at a university in North Dakota," He begins.

"Not South Dakota?" I question.

"No, South Dakota was where I grew up, I went to North Dakota to study," He says.

"I see."

"When I applied to study there, they turned me down," he sniffs, "and so I gave up in life."

I nod a couple of times but then notice he isn't speaking anymore.

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that's a... that's a sad story," I really don't know what to say.

"Not all is bad though, the hobo community is a strong one, and I have many friends," He smiles at me.

"Yeah... that's nice," I nod kindly, though in my mind I'm screaming at Kakashi to get the hell out of my car.

We drive on for what seems like an eternity longer, him asking a couple of personal questions from time to time which I refuse to answer.

Eventually, I start to panic that I won't make it in time for my flight so I speed up.

I check the time again, quarter to twelve, and still no signs saying anything about an airport.

"Hey Kakashi, have you been on this highway before?" I ask my companion who looks up from stroking the leather of my seats and nods.

"Sure have, my friend Asuma is currently walking up this road in search of a ride into the city," Kakashi answers me.

"Well, do you know how close we are to the airport?" I ask politely.

"Well I think I recognise this part of the countryside, so I'd say we're about twelve minutes away," he figures.

I look outwards to the fields of grass which look exactly the same as the fields of grass we passed an hour ago.

"Great," I mumble.

We drive on for another five minutes and eventually I see in the distance the grey tarmac of the airport, tiny dots of people moving around these small white airplanes, when suddenly, "Oh hey stop the car!"

"What?" I say, jolting round at him.

"Stop the car!" He demands of me.

"Okay, okay," I breath and pull the car to a stop, expecting to find the back of my car on fire or something.

"Hey Asuma!" Kakashi bellows and climbs into the backseats to talk to Asuma.

Asuma trudges over to my car through the grass as Kakashi opens the door behind me, greeting this new hobo fella' fondly.

Instead of some danger or serious problem, Kakashi has stopped my car to talk to a fucking hobo.

I just stare at the two of them open mouthed.

I'm not sure if he notices or cares, instead he chats merrily along to Asuma about highways and airports and other hobo stuff.

This is a joke isn't it?

My eyes flicker between the airport in the distance and the in-car clock. Seven minutes exactly till it takes off. There isn't time for Asuma and remembering the good ol' days dammit!

Kakashi is talking about me now; I glance at him then at the airport then at the clock.

The clock handle ticks off another minute; I'll never make it now!

Well, not if I'm just waiting here...

I glance at Kakashi again then at the little people moving around a plane in the distance, my plane, the plane I need to catch which people would be boarding already.

"I'm going," I say suddenly.

"Yeah, yeah, give me and Asuma another minute to catch up."

I slam my wheel in anger.

Grinding my teeth I look between the clock, the airport and then Kakashi.

Before I even know what I'm doing, my hands are reaching out and with a shout I've pushed Kakashi out of my car, making the man roll onto the grass, swearing.

Before he gets up my car spits fumes into his face as I pull away to the sounds of him swearing after me.

The car speeds, ninety miles per hour on a fifty speed limit road.

The plane will be taking off in five minutes! I could get to the airport in that time but surely not the actual plane. Time slipped away from me in that trip with Kakashi!

"Come on, come on," I mutter to myself as my Lamborghini speeds down the hill.

With three minutes to go I rush into the glass-walled airport after parking my car just outside. Immediately a call for my name is issued in the sound system.

Swearing I push through the crowds and make it through the first parts of the airport fine seeing as I have no luggage.

With one minute to go I get to the airport security when going onto the plane.

"Items?" The guard drawls and shoves a tray in my face.

"No, no fuck off," I growl.

Tutting, the man lets me through the metal-detector which beeps immediately.

"Fuck!" I cry out to the world, resulting in some dirty looks from onlookers.

"Items," the same guard comes over to me and pushes the tray in my face again.

I take off my watch and shove it in the tray, glaring at the man as I do so.

"Hey Kotetsu," The guard with the tray calls to another guard nearby.

"Izumo?" Kotetsu says as he comes over.

"Check this guy, will you?"

Guard Kotetsu begins to tap down my body for any items, which is more embarrassing then I remember.

Tutting, I look at a clock hanging over a reception area. One minute to go and I'm stuck at airport security.

"Can you hurry this up please," I snap.

Izumo and Kotetsu look at each other as I say this, then the Kotetsu guys continues checking me for any items, obviously and deliberately slower.

I glance out the window; I see a plane with the number of the flight I booked on its nose. I see the last passenger get on, then the stairs onto the plane being wheeled away.

"No," I sigh as the plane starts to move.

"You can go now," Kotetsu says as I stare longingly out the window.

"Twats," I hiss and set off running down the long corridor leading out to the runways.

"Don't forget your watch," Izumo calls after me.

I stomp back, snatch my watch out of his hands then speed off again.

But I'm too late. I watch as I'm pushed back by plane monitors my plane fly off into the sky.

I swear loudly and walk back to the entrance of the airport and slump down at the front doors. The beeping, the talking, the announcements all drowned out in my misery.

Eventually I get the nerve to phone Naruto.

"Hello, Naruto?" I say wearily.

"Oh hey Sasuke, shouldn't you be on a plane or something?" He asks me.

"Shouldn't you?" I reply, my shoulders perking up slightly.

"Nah, I missed my flight, so I'm driving all the way to Canada with Kiba," Naruto tells me.

"Woo! Road trip!" I hear the voice of what must belong to Kiba call down the phone.

"So you're driving all that way?" I clarify.

"Sure am, what about you?" He asks.

"I'm at the airport; I just missed my flight too."

"Well you better get going, because we've been driving northbound for awhile now, yahoo!"

Naruto hangs up, leaving me with hope yet.

_**A/N yeah so, drop a review if you're enjoying the story or saw any faults you wanna point out, thanks for reading and check out the next chapter! – Re-drafted!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Race around the world: I love you Sakura Haruno!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of its characters and make no money from this story... support the official release and all that jazz!_

_Written by Ghostsammeo_

_**AU/ Not much else to say in my author note besides reminding you to drop a review if you enjoyed the story, it would be much appreciated. Thank you and enjoy.**_

* * *

"Yeah, he missed the flight as well but he's got a head start driving there."

I'm standing in a dusty part of the countryside, my car parked next to a fuel pump which I am currently handling as I balance my mobile between my shoulder and ear. A couple of metres away is the small service station with a swinging sign reading: Danzo's service station. It sounds slightly rude to me, but as long as I get my fuel for the journey up to Canada I'll happily pay Danzo for his services anytime.

I've driven a good amount of miles since the airport incident, as my watch will vouch. I've done a good three hours at least, leaving me at three pm in the boiling hot afternoon.

"Wow," Ino, who I am on the phone to, murmurs, "So you're still in the race?"

"Sure am," I say, my eyes watching a blonde headed man walk into the shop-area.

Hmm, weird. The guy doesn't seem to have a car; surely he didn't walk to the middle of nowhere to buy a pack of gum?

"So, any news on your end from Sakura?" I question as I fill my tank with fuel.

"'fraid not, I haven't had time to look into it either, Suigetsu you know, always so horny, constantly on the booty-call."

"...Yeah I've gotta go," I swiftly interrupt her, not wanting to hear a story about her sexual encounters with Suigetsu, "Some guy's telling me to get off the phone, you know that whole mobiles start fires in petrol stations thing."

"Oh my god yeah, that happened to my cousin Joey once," Ino begins on a new topic.

"Right well you give him my best," I say sarcastically and go to hang up but when I look up, something distracts me.

"Oh shit."

"What is it?" Ino questions in my ear.

"Oh my god... shit," I continue.

"What the hell is going on?" Ino demands.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I watch wide-eyed through the shop windows as the blonde headed man holds a gun to the head of the old man at the counter.

"I think there's a robbery going on," I explain with a hushed tone, my eyes locked onto the events before me.

"Is there a gun involved?" She asks.

"Yes there's a gun involved! What should I do?" I whisper.

"Hide in your car, make sure he doesn't see you," Ino advises quickly.

"Are you sure? Isn't this the time I should be a hero, like on those criminal CCTV shows?" I ask, my voice steadily becoming more panicky.

"I don't know! I don't know you that well! Are you normally the hero type?"

I make a quick sweep through my memories and shake my head, "I don't know, I saved a cat from a tree once when I was eight, does that count?"

"How high was the tree?" Ino comes back quickly.

"Erm... I don't know! Tree size, normal tree size," I stutter.

"Not good enough; hide Sasuke!"

"Right," I hang up then quickly and silently get into my car and lie down in the leg space for the front passenger seat.

What the fuck is happening? Just my luck that I'm caught up in a robbery when I'm actually trying to race my old school friend across the country! Seriously.

I hear some shouting from my isolated space, then the shop door opening, then footsteps coming closer and closer.

I look up slowly as a body crashes down into the driving seat and turns my keys.

Oh my God, is my car being jacked? And with me inside it?

"Damn that old man, who knew he'd have an emergency police button, hmm," moans the driver to himself.

I lie there in silence and sneak a glance at the robber.

He has long blonde hair, styled into a high ponytail along with a long fringe going down one side of his face. Light blue eyes stare intently forwards towards the road.

I feel the car being reversed, then after twenty seconds, it speeding down the road.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

The robber glances at the bag by his feet, presumably full of money, then at me, then back at the road.

His eyes narrow and suddenly he double-takes, his eyes wide with shock.

We both scream simultaneously. The car jerks to the side and off the road and onto the desolate sand-side.

The robber quickly recovers the car while pulling out his gun and aiming it at my head.

"Don't kill me, I've got so much to give!" I beg of him.

"What the fuck? Is this your car?" the robber demands, switching his eyes between me and the road.

"Yes, it's my car, I saw you robbing but decided I wasn't a hero so tried to let you get away with it," I explain quickly, "So in a way, I helped you escape, so you shouldn't hurt me!"

"Very smooth jackass, I'm not going to hurt you as long as you keep still yeah," the robber warns.

"Yeah, yeah," I nod and slowly shift upwards and into the seat, my eyes pinned on his gun, "but, where are we going exactly? I was in a rush somewhere."

"I **was** going home, but..."

He nods at the side mirror where I can see police cars over the horizon, coming through the dust. Soon I hear their sirens.

"So... you're just going to run away from the police with me in the car?" I question.

"Don't want to stay, be my guest and jump right out, but I'm not stopping, hmm."

I gulp loudly and begin to sweat. What should I do? What **can** I do? This is all so surreal and random! I know I shouldn't try to fight him; he'd either shoot me or drive us off the road and to our death or something. I can't jump out the car at the speed we're going. The only thing I can do is wait for the police to catch him.

I slowly reach up to my seatbelt, you know, just in-case, but quickly his gun is pressed against my head.

"What are you doing, hmm?" He growls at me, his voice as shaky and as uncertain as mine.

"I'm putting on my seatbelt," I reply in an attempted assertive tone.

He nods and releases the pressure of his gun to my head.

I belt up then turn around to look at the police cars. It seems they're steadily gaining on us, freedom soon then.

"This is a Lamborghini isn't it?" The robber suddenly says.

I turn to look at him in confusion. Is he making small talk?

"Yeah."

"Do you reckon I could out-speed those police cars?" He continues.

Maybe I should say no, to dishearten him a little, but this is my car. My beautiful, yellow, open-top Lamborghini car... so yes is the answer.

"Of course," I boast.

He smiles to the sound of the engine kicking it up a gear and suddenly my car is flying far away from the police.

"Erm... Where are we going Mr..." I mumble.

"My name is Deidara, and I've told you I don't know where I'm going, yeah," He says aggressively.

"How about Canada?" I say it before I can even stop myself.

Deidara glances at me in wonder.

Well it's out there now; I might as well work it all I can.

"You know, cuz I saw it in the Simpsons movie..." I ramble.

"Simpsons movie," He repeats.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure it must only be about a twenty four hour straight drive," I continue.

"I'm not driving to Canada... with you, hmm," He mutters back.

"My name is Sasuke by the way," I introduce myself.

"Okay," He replies grimly, quite clearly not interested.

Damn you Deidara, you **are **driving me to Canada!

"The police will probably give up chasing you once you're out of California," I say to him.

Deidara looks between the side mirrors to look at the police cars then back at me, "You think?"

"Well if you get that far. You're heading north towards the State of Oregon aren't you?" I say.

He shrugs, "I don't know, I guess so, hmm."

"Well, keep driving north till you hit Washington or Montana or some northern state, lay low there until you can return back home. You can just drop me off up there and we'll never have to meet again,"

I hope he falls for that one. In reality, he's not gonna make it out of California with the police on his tail, they'll just put up a barricade on the roads somewhere, but I can at least try and milk out a couple of extra miles with him driving. Heck if I'm lucky, he'll cover the whole of California for me before he gets caught!

"Listen to you, you sound like you've done this before, yeah," he jokes with a light but nervous laugh.

"All I know is the police here will follow you all the way, they know these roads and the roads after," I lie. I don't know that. It's called acting and I'm bloody good at it, "However they don't know the roads in the other states, get out of California and you can finally lose them."

"Yeah but then the police from the state over will be called in, they know their roads don't they?" Deidara snaps back.

"Yeah, but by then no one will know where you are. Then if you want you can swap cars to avoid the police and we'll part ways," I continue.

"If I leave this car before the police find me, they'll think you're the criminal, hmm," Deidara says sceptically.

"Nah, that old man will vouch for me, besides, I won't be stopping for the police either," I mutter and rest my elbow on the window.

Now** I** sound like the criminal!

"You really are in a rush aren't you, okay then here we go, yeah!" Deidara yells out and pumps up the speed.

Soon enough the police cars on our tail are gone and it's only us driving along the lonely, dusty road.

We've been driving for at least an hour now and I'm starting to get worried. Will the police see me as an accomplice for this guy's crime? I hope not. That would be stupid, I'm a victim! I'm a captive! Deidara wouldn't say that though, I think, as I watch the driver through the corner of my eye. He'd tell them the story of how I convinced him to run to Canada, and then I'd be a goner.

As I glare at the robber Deidara secretly for something he hasn't done yet, he suddenly swears out loud.

I perk up from my almost trance-like state of glaring and demand to know what's up.

He nods back as a quick siren wail sounds behind us.

I glance back at the police car. Where did it come from? Behind us, to the side, is a billboard advertising some new toothpaste from the Sound Five inc. The police probably were hiding behind that.

"Shall I run?" Deidara looks at me questionably in a panicky fashion.

I turn back to him, "No, I think they're pulling you over for speeding. Only run if they recognise who you are."

Nodding Deidara slowly pulls up my car to the side of the road in the dust. The police car pulls up behind us and I hear the opening and closing of doors.

Two middle aged police men walk up to my car.

One has thick white hair, wearing some dark, round sunglasses over his face. The other is lean, with long dark hair and a pale face.

"Play it cool," I whisper to my robber counterpart who nods unsurely.

The white haired man leans down onto my car and grins into Deidara's face.

"I know, I know I sped, I'm sorry," Deidara immediately blabs out.

Cursing, I duck my head. What an idiot.

"Well how do you know I'm stopping you for speeding?" The white haired police officer asks teasingly.

"Because I **was** speeding, I was in a rush," Deidara continues to blab.

Swearing to myself I lean towards the police officer, "Can I help you? This is my car, I want to take any responsibility for what we've done."

The officer looks surprised; "First off," he turns back to Deidara, "blondie, license?"

Deidara gulps and looks at me shiftily.

He doesn't have his license does he? I shake my head as I can see he is rearing to flee.

"He doesn't have his license," I say, "He's... he's my little brother... I'm teaching him to drive."

The officer raises a sceptical eyebrow, "How old is he?"

I look at Deidara, "twenty-"

Deidara shakes his head subtly.

"fif-"

He shakes his head again.

"Eighteen?"

Deidara nods.

"He's eighteen," I confirm unsurely then turn back to look at the police officer and smile.

The dark haired officer appears behind the white haired one and scoffs, "I find it hard to believe that you're his **older **brother."

"Well I am," I sneer, "I brought him out here because it's a straight strip of land with barely any cars, a good teaching road."

"That's still illegal anyway," The white haired cop says simply, "Can I have **your** licence then?"

I fish into my pocket and pull my license out of my wallet and hand it over.

"Sasuke Uchiha," The white haired guy reads then hands it over to the black haired one who goes off to the police car with my license in hand.

I watch longingly at my licence in the officer's hand.

"He'll be back in a sec, for the meantime, blondie, out of the car!"

Deidara glances worriedly at me then back at the police officer.

He shakes his head at me, eyes wide with fear.

"Don't," I say.

But it's too late.

Instinctively I dive out the top of the car door as my Lamborghini suddenly accelerates forwards. The officer barks with shock and jumps back as Deidara leaves dust in both our faces.

He looks at me then back at Deidara and my car.

"Come on you," He hisses and grabs me by my arm as I watch my car speed away down the road.

Damn that Deidara!

He pulls me over to the police car and throws me in the back.

"Jiraiya, what's going on?" The black haired officer asks from the front passenger seat.

"The blonde head kid has done a runner, Orochimaru, come on!"

Jiraiya clicks a button and suddenly the sirens are wailing and the car zooms off.

"What about him, has he got a record?" Jiraiya asks with a nod in my direction after around thirty seconds.

Orochimaru turns to look at me with his scary-ass eyes through the bars, "**Sasuke Uchiha** hasn't even got a point on his license."

I breathe easy, right; they know I'm not a criminal.

"Yeah well, he and his friend were up to something," Jiraiya comments, "You gonna talk Mr. Uchiha?

Yes. I'm going to talk a lot.

"Yeah, I was being held captive by that guy named Deidara, he robbed a small service station then stole my car with me inside, he's planning on going to Canada to get away!" I explain quickly.

I feel bad for telling on Deidara but everything I said was true (sorta), and he** is** a criminal.

"Well... he was surprisingly honest," Orochimaru smirks.

"Yeah... unless he was lying," Jiraiya says.

"I'm not lying, haven't you been warned about a runaway driver from other police cars in the area?" I ask them in an attempt to convince them of my story.

"No, we turned off our police radio so we could get some sleep behind that billboard," Orochimaru says cheerfully then suddenly lowers his voice, "That was until you and your loud roaring Lamborghini came booming down the road!"

I nod, "Nice though, isn't it?"

Shaking his head with annoyance officer Orochimaru turns his attention back to the road.

"There he is, we're catching up on him," Jiraiya suddenly says.

I look through the bars to see my car coming closer and closer, Deidara's worried glances back becoming more and more detailed.

"Alright, catch him and I can have my car back!" I grin happily.

"What?" Orochimaru turns back to look at me, "You'll be coming to the station as well my friend, we can't just believe your story then let you go."

He laughs as my face immediately drops.

Naruto will be out of California by the time everything's cleared up with the police. Double-Damn that Deidara!

"Orochimaru, megaphone," Jiraiya suddenly says and nods at something near the gearstick.

Orochimaru nods and picks up what looks like a walkie-talkie. When he speaks his voice booms out from a megaphone on the top of the police car, "Pull over, this is the police!"

My car does not slow down one bit.

"Ah, you did it wrong," Jiraiya curses.

Orochimaru looks at him with confusion, "What?"

"You did it wrong, it's meant to be 'This is the police, pull over', not whatever you did."

Orochimaru sighs, "I'm sure it doesn't make much of a difference, he'll still get the same message."

"Yeah, a none-protocol message," Jiraiya mutters.

Why are they arguing? Why are they arguing?!

"Err, hello? Deidara's getting away," I remind as our car slows significantly.

"No you don't," Jiraiya turns from debating with Orochimaru and give a quick flick of his wheel.

The bonnet of the police car slams into the back of my poor, baby Lamborghini. It swerves off the road and stops with a shout from Deidara.

I can't even speak. Instead I watch as a grinning Jiraiya and Orochimaru stop the car at the side of the road then run across the dirt and towards Deidara.

There's a dent on the back of my car. A DENT! Bastards!

I'm about to start swearing out loud when suddenly Deidara is thrown in next to me, handcuffs and all.

"That'll teach you the meaning of friendship," Jiraiya says aggressively through the window at him.

"What does that mean?" Orochimaru asks as he climbs into the front passenger seat.

"I don't know, I didn't have anything cool to say so I panicked," Jiraiya answers as he jumps into the driving seat.

Deidara turns to me slowly as Jiraiya starts speaking to another police officer down the radio.

I point my nose in the air and turn away from him.

Bitch.

"Alright lads, another police car is coming to look after the Lamborghini while we drive you two to the nearest police station," Jiraiya says and leans back to look at us.

"We just need to wait for them to arrive," Orochimaru finishes it off for him.

"Yeah so, we might seem asleep but we're not, so don't try anything," Jiraiya warns us with a stretch.

We sit in silence for five minutes. In-fact, I'm pretty sure Orochimaru and Jiraiya are dosing off.

I think Deidara notices this as suddenly he's looking all shifty again, like when he robbed my car and when he fled from the police.

After another two minutes of sitting around I turn to Deidara, "What are you doing, stop looking like that!"

Hmm, the heat must have gotten to me, and of course the fact that I'm being arrested!

Deidara looks at me with a smile, "I can't go to prison, so use this as your chance to escape."

"What does that mean?" I ask him.

He winks then shifts into some weird position like a baby getting its diaper changed. I go to ask him what he's doing but falter as he draws his leg back and kicks the glass window, shattering it into a million tiny little pieces that now cover his side of the car. The two policemen wake up with snorts as Deidara clambers out the window. I watch in surprised admiration as he falls out, stands up shaking glass off himself and then begins to run off into the sand and away.

Jiraiya turns as he awakens, blinking away his tiredness, "Huh what?"

He looks back to see me smiling innocently.

"Oh damn the blondie escaped! Orochimaru come on!"

After a big commotion, the two of them are running off after Deidara, leaving me alone.

So, was Deidara's last act for himself or for me? Probably both, I think, as I stroll up to my Lamborghini, stroking its smooth sides as I do so. Either way, for some reason I respect that weird gas station robbing criminal, despite the setback he's caused in my race to find Sakura.

What a crazy experience, I think, but now my mind has to put it aside as I have a decision to make. Here's the deal, if I get in my car now and flee, I'm a criminal, a wanted runaway. **But** I'm sure Naruto is nearing the north of America right now away and he IS NOT WINNING SAKURA!

I hop into my car and feel a pang of joy to be riding it again. Canada here I come!

* * *

_**Yes, this chapter was rushed... but review it anyway! – Re-drafted!**_


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